The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-27
Changes I'm western Climate.

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"When came here in 1872" said
President David B. Perry OF Deane
college, Crete, Neb., to a correspond
emit recently, "many people were in
credulous OF the growth OF this state.
The atmosphere was excessively dry
and it was doubtful whether corn or
tame grass or fruittrees would grow.
The sod was tough and stubborn, and
shed the little in that fell quickly.
We had interminable wind storms.
1t would blow, blow, blow, day after
day, till the din was unbearable. |
have seen people fairly worn out with
the incessant, strenuous, wearisome
blasts that so relentlessly kept whirl
and racket about them. And there
used to come, in summer, occasional
hot blasts from the south that would
wilt our grain, especially our corn.
But there has come a most remarka-
BILE change. The atmosphere is not
nearly so dry. Ladies have to guard
within doors, against mildew occa-
stoned by dampness much as they do
at the east. Wehnve much more rain,
and it is much more evenly distributed
over the year than it used to be. We
have fewer and fewer wind storms,
and the heated winds that did such
mischief do not trouble us at all. Sec
for yourself the crops we raise! Look
at that corn-feld. There are 200 solid
acres as fine as any in the world"
"Wcll, but what has induced so great
n change? Are you sure it is perma-
nentp" II AM sure it is permanent
because know what has caused it.
Hundred of thousands OF acres, year
after year, were plowed up and the
soil rendered porous. You know we
are the great soldier state. There was
a vast army OF men at the close ofthe
war, who went home to find their old
places occupied and their occupation
gone. They came out here. They put in
their homestead and timber claims for
government land and went vigorously
to work Mt farming. The people at
Beatrice have q Grand Army reunion
shortly and they count on 1000 OF
the boys being there. Such wide
spread tillage OF wholly new land has
prepared the surface soil to receive
and retain moisture. The corn itself,
by its shade, prevents rapid evapora-
ton. So do our countless groves.
Arbor day Is q great institution out
here, as you can anywhere and every
where see."
"And you think the moisture in the
earth increases the rain-falls" "Most
certainly. The influence OF the
clouds and soil becomes reciprocal"
"But what should effect the winds
so remarkably" "This same circum-
stance OF more moist atmosphere.
The air ia heavier, less volatile. Be-
sides the groves are very important in
their influence in breaking the force OF
the wind. 1t cannot now sweep across
the state as if it were sheet OF water.
The groves constantly interrupt and
break its force"
at seems almost incredible that 30
radical a change should have occurred
so soon" eyes, would not believe
it il had not seen it and felt it. You
can Judge for yourself whether we are
troubled to raise crops. Wehavehad
five successive years of them. Last
year the railroads themselves were
dismayed at the corn to be moved.
Away out, $50 miles to the west OF
here, in Phelps county and Casper, and
Lincoln, the cultivation is going on
so it is north OF the Platte, and also
south of us in Kansas"